


Eventually Is Always Too Late

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-08
Updated: 2018-10-08
Packaged: 2019-07-28 00:30:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16230470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: With amnesia, you forgot who you were. He wished that when you remembered, you forgot the person you became.





	Eventually Is Always Too Late

**Author's Note:**

> Spiritual sequel to [Eventually Must Be Earned](http://fishfingersandjellybabies.tumblr.com/post/178842151372/eventually-must-be-earned-fic). Haven’t read Nightwing 50 yet and probably won’t for ages so this is based off some panels of RIC being a real turd to Babs, so I imagine he’d be a real turd to literally everyone else, including babies. Since Damian is a baby I feel like he’d not deal with Ric being a terrible person and equating/dissociating/whatever-ing him with Dick, both with and without the amnesia. If that makes sense. This is some self indulgent TRASH so read at your own risk I guess I dunno?

Sometimes, he wished amnesia worked both ways.

With amnesia, you forgot who you were. He wished that when you remembered, you forgot the person you became.

He knew this wasn’t going to go well. It hadn’t gone well with Barbara and the rest of the family, besides Bruce, so why would this be any different? If anything, it would be worse. So, so, so much _worse_.

Because he didn’t forget the person he became. Dick didn’t forget Ric. And he didn’t forget the time Damian came to see him, tried to help him remember. He didn’t forget how cruel he was to him. Rude and annoyed, when all the kid wanted was to talk. He wasn’t even pushy about it, like Barbara had been. He just wanted to observe. He just wanted to protect him, from afar even.

“God, kid.” He’d snapped at him on a street corner. “Why won’t you just go _home_?”

“Because I’m here to protect you.” Damian had replied simply. “You’re my brother, whether you remember that fact or not. It’s what I do.”

“I’m _not_ your brother.” He’d sneered, turning away. And at the time he didn’t care, but now all he could do is think about what he’d said, and have his heart break every time it repeated in his mind. “ _Your_ brother’s _dead_.”

He’d left him on that street corner then, didn’t give two shits about it, didn’t even look back to see what his reaction was to the statement, and never saw him again.

Not until now.

He glanced up when the school bell rang. Watched students burst out of the school in waves, ready for a long weekend away from that place. He didn’t move as his eyes darted from child to child. Just remained leaned up against his bike, hoody covering his head.

Until finally – _there_.

They were towards the end of the crowd, exiting the school and turning towards the fields, where Dick could see the helicopter waiting for them. Both with dark hair, and their uniform ties loosened. Damian was even smiling softly as the boy with glasses next to him talked faster than most people would probably ever be able to comprehend.

Dick frowned. He forgot Jon Kent went to this school too.

A minor inconvenience, he decided, as he stepped forward, jogged a little to get within earshot. Damian didn’t seem to notice him, kept all focus on Jon.

“Hey!” He called gently, raising his hand in a slight wave. “Damian?”

Both Damian and Jon stopped and turned towards him. Damian’s face was curious for a moment as his eyes glanced across his body, before settling into a displeased stoicism.

“Oh.” He said monotonously. “ _You_.”

Dick would be lying if he said that didn’t hurt his soul, more than a little.

Jon furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at him too. It took him a moment longer, but when he realized Dick’s identity, almost opposite of Damian’s reaction, Jon’s eyes flared a quick flash of red as he sidestepped to stand in front of Damian.

“Yeah, me.” Dick murmured. “Can…can we talk?” He glanced at Jon. “Alone?”

“He can hear whatever you have to say. You’re not the boss of him.” Damian countered smoothly. “That is, if I even wanted to hear it myself.”

“Damian-”

“Which I _don’t_.” He snapped, spinning away. “So goodbye Mr. Grayson. Let’s go, Jon.”

Jon narrowed his eyes before following his friend, glancing coolly over his shoulder every few feet.

“Damian, wait. Please.” Dick called after him, following. It was a bad idea, surely. Both of these children could kick his ass if they wanted to. Or, hell, just shout ‘stranger danger’ loud enough. “Please!”

“Why?” Damian hissed, twirling angrily back around. “Why should I?”

“Well, I-I…Because…” He sighed. “I just want to apologize.”

“Apology not accepted.” Damian hummed. “Now go away.”

Jon nodded his agreement and went to tug Damian further down the lane.

“Damian, please. Just a minute.” Dick pushed, getting closer still. He watched Jon’s free hand curl into a protective fist. “As your brother, can’t I get just a minute?”

Damian suddenly yanked himself free from Jon and spun around before Dick could blink. “A _minute_? I’m supposed to give you a minute of _my_ time? After you’ve proven that I’m really only your brother when it’s _convenient_ for you?”

“Damian…” Dick breathed. When he stepped forward again, his hood fell back, and he watched both Damian and Jon flinch away from the sight of his bald head, and the ugly scar of the bullet. “Damian, that’s not true, you _know_ -”

“You forgot about me!” Damian spat, and pain cracked his voice. “You forgot about me for _months_ , and _happily_ so it appeared, yet I’m supposed to grant you a minute of _my_ time?” Damian shook his head, turned away again. “No. I refuse.”

He took a few steps, Jon jogging to catch up behind him. Dick watched, for a moment, before whispering:

“But I _remembered_ you. Did Bruce tell you that part?” Damian hesitated, slowed in his tracks. “Did Bruce tell you I remembered you first? Before him or Nightwing or even my _parents_? Did he tell you _that_?” He stopped as the wind blew through the nearby trees. Jon glanced between them. “Doesn’t that count for anything?”

That seemed to make Damian stop, think a little. And Dick let himself have a little hope. He could fix this, he could get his little brother back, and everything would be okay again. Just like always.

“No.” Damian decided quietly. Sadly. Heartbreakingly. He didn’t look at Dick. “Not this time.”

Jon took control now. A frown setting on his face as he twisted and threw an arm over Damian’s shoulder, leading him quickly away. Neither boy looked back.

And Dick couldn’t quite tell, but he thought he saw Damian’s shoulders shaking. Thought he saw his head bow just slightly, and a hand rise to wipe a finger along his eye. But he couldn’t be sure. No, he couldn’t be completely sure.

…Maybe, just maybe, things _weren’t_ going to be like always. Not this time.

Maybe not ever again. 


End file.
